The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-12-08

Z>M/S|WR sub-treasury build
AGSsRgde; ing, on Wall street.
CZ-a> NJ 1t was not much of
a>~ a building; and
there was not much of a ceremony, but the
crowd was surprise; for the people still re-
garded the new government as something of
an experiment, and-the uncomplimentary
| fact must be recorded-New York as state
! had very little confidence in the experiment.
The state, it was true, had voted for the
adoption of the constitution; but only
| by the majority Of 30 to 81. and
that after enough of the opposition had
retired from the convention to make
adoption certainty. They were SO con-
WINGED by Hamiltons appeals that they con-
sented not to oppose the adoption; but they
were so skeptical that they refused to COM
nit themselves by an affirmative vote. But
time at last makes all things even; the new
government has proved strong enough to
overcome all opposition, and now New York
| invites the nation to join with her i'll proper
celebration of the presidential centennial.
The first proposition was that the Chamber
of Commerce should arrange for compare
| lively local celebration, but at body soon
| saw that the scheme was too contracted, and
called on the city at large; from this the next
movement was to invite the cooperation of
| congress, and President Cleveland heartily
seconded the scheme, but in the press of bust
ness in the closing hours of the last congress
the matter was pushed aside. Then it was
decided to call on the governors of the origi-
nal thirteen states, and finally complete
plan is agreed upon: That the city, the
state congress and the thirteen original
states shall join in a truly national celebra-
ton, and that April 80, 1889, shall be only
the central day of a weeks festivities And
as New York city and its tributary towns
and cities now hold more white people than
the entire republic did on the day of Wash
ington's inauguration, the young patriot is
naturally eager for and the writer is justified
in giving some details of that truly historic
| time.
| In the beginning, then, let it be borne in
mind that Washington was no stranger to
New York when he came here to take the
presidencys for though a Virginian, it is a
| fact that the very crisis of his career occurred
in sight of New Yorks city hall. From
the city he beheld the defeat of his army on
Long Island; in the city he had his headquar-
tiers during the perplexity of the second year
of the revolution, and from the city he re-
treated to enter on that series of disasters
and humiliations which began with Fort
Washington and White Plains and ended
only with Trenton and Princeton. And it is
a most curious fact that George Washington
was more popular in New York city long be-
fore the revolution than at any time there
utter till the seat of government had been
moved to Phladelphia--in short, if the news
papers of that day are to be believed, New
| York did not appreciate President Washing
ton until he was separated from her by the
width Of a state. But thirty years before,
when Washington was a young Virginian
colonel, he visited New York, and all hearts
were open to him. No record remains of
any discord in the notes of welcome to the
young Virghnian who had won such honors
in the Indian WARRIOR it was not quite two
years after Bladdocks defeat July 0, 1850
that Washington made his flying trip to
New York and took short pleasure iaunt
Oil Long Island. He was only % years old;
yet he had made a tour in the wild west as
full Of adventure as trip to the Soudan
in these days, and had commanded the Vir-
ginia Rangers in year of trials and adven-
lures on the upper Ohio and its southeastern
tributaries. He had come up to Philadelphia
for ii military conference with Lord Loudoun
and embraced the opportunity for short
vacation to New York. It is not at all sur
prising that he was popular; yet, if we judge
from his portrait of that time and contempt
rary hints, he was not at all handsome. He
had the ruddy round face of Virginia boy;
his hands and feet were noticeably large and
he lad not grown to fit them; he was awk-
ward in gait, as an overgrown lad usually
is, and.far from ready III speech or graceful
IN address Indeed, all the memoirs agree
that he did not become easy or graceful till
middle life; yet the observing eye could see
in linn in ll51 the possibilities of great things,
and with the halo Of his western adventures
about him he was warmly welcomed Nine
teen years passed and he came again as COM
mander-in-chief; but New York city was
divided in sentiment, and the historian is
discreetly silent as to the popular feeling. In
1859 he came for the third and last time to
crown his former work; and early in 1890
made his notable tour on Long Island. The
mixed tone of his reception this time may
perhaps be understood by considering the
steps leading to his election.